Refrigerator



(No Model.) 7 F H ZAHRN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

REFRIGERATOR.

No. 494,049 Patented Mar. 21, 1893.

THE mama vans w. mum-Erma, WASHINGTON. n. c.

(No Model.) P H AHRN 2 Sheets-Shet REFRIGERATOR.

Patented Mag 21, 1893.

m M um m m R UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK H. ZAHRN, OF MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA.

REFRIGERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 494,049, dated March21, 1893.

Application filed May 16,1892. $erial No. 433,208. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK H. ZAHRN, a

I citizen of the United States, residing at Michigan City, in the countyof La Porte and State of Indiana, have invented a new and usefulRefrigerator, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in refrigerators; and the objectsin View are to provide a refrigerator of simple construction, theinteriors of the compartments of which are readily accessible for thepurpose of cleaning,

airing, or the introduction and removal of edibles; to provide means forpreventing the escape of cold air when the cold-air compart-,

mulating the same during its non-use or when cutoff from thecompartments; and to provide for a rapid drip for conducting thewastewater from the ice and from the refrigerator, thereby producing acold, dry air.

Other objects and advantages of the inven tion will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof willbeparticularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of arefrigerator embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinalcentral sectional view. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view,taken through the warm-air exits. Fig. 4 is a horizontal transversesectional view, taken through the coldair discharges. Fig. 5 is avertical section through the upper end of the compartment and theice-box,illustrating the warm-air exit. Like numerals of referenceindicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a rectangular base, and the same may be constructed in anysuitable man- The base is provided with a surrounding rabbet 2, and hasmounted upon its upper side a transverse partition 3, and a longitudinalpartition 4, said partitions intersecting each other and thus dividingthe refrigerator box into four compartments, one at each corner. Uponthe upper ends of the partitions is mounted the rectangular top 5,having a double bottom 6, between which a warm-air space 7 is formed.

The partitions 3 and 4 each consist of two vertical sections or walls,and those of the longitudinal partition combine to form an intermediateair-space at each side of the center of the refrigerator. Theseair-spaces or flues are designated as 8, and they are subdivided byintermediate vertical partitions or plates 9. Between these flues, wherethe'two partitions intersect, a drip-pipe 10 is located, and the sameextends from the bottom of the top 5 through the base. The floor of therectangular top slants from each end toward the center, as shown, and aseries of coiled springs or wire coils 11 is located upon the floor.Each coil has secured to its under side a metal strip 12, and upon itsupper side a wooden or metal strip 13, tapered toward its ends, so thatthe series of strips 13 combine to form a level support for the metalice-tray 14, which is mounted thereon.

The drip-pan is provided with a bottom 15, end walls 16, and a back orrear wall 17, the upper edges of the three walls being bent to engageover an intermediate lining 18, with which the top-section, or what mayconstitute the ice-box, is provided. This lining 18 is spaced from theexterior wall of the top and the space between the same and the liningis a continuation of the space 7, between the floors of the said top, sothat warm air reaching the space 7, in a manner hereinafter described,will ascend and be directed to thetop of the mass of ice within theice-box or topsection. The bottom of the drip-pan is inclined fromopposite ends'to the center,;while a perforation 19 is provided with adepending pipe 20, the said pipe extending down and into the drip-pipe10, so that the water'will be rapidly conducted from the ice. The'bottom15 of the drip-pan is provided with opposite fianged openings 21, whichare above the cold-air fiues 8, and communicate therewith. Within thisdrip-pan sits the perforated icetray 14, said ice-tray being perforatedat all points except directly over the openings 21, Where it isimperforate. The front wall of the top is provided with a pair ofopposite hinged doors 23, and the same may be opened and closed to giveaccess to the ice-chamber. A roof 24 surmounts the top, is removabletherefrom, depends within the same, and is provided with a sheet-metalplate 25, having depending flanges 26 which fit against the back wall.The side-walls of the ice-tank are shallower than the back wall, so thatwhen the roof is in position a space is formed between the upper edgesof the side-walls of the ice-tank, and the aforesaid roof.

To the front opposite edges of the transverse partition 3 there ishinged a pair of L- shaped swinging doors 27, which close the front andsides of the refrigerator, from their hinged points around to the edgesof the transverse partition 4, where they are provided with catches 28,for locking them in a closed position. These L-shaped doors 27combinewith the angles formed by the two partitions 3 and 4, to form a pair ofrectangular refrigerating or cold-air compartments, and when opened thedoors give access to the entire compartments. The doors have their edgesrabbeted, as is usual, and are provided with a series of shelves 29,which open with the doors, leaving the compartments bare to be readilycleaned, and bringing the articles outside of the compartments, wherebythey may be readily removed, or other articles placed in position.

At the back of the refrigerator, one half is closed by a wall 30,forming a third cold-air chamber or refrigerator-chamber, and this isaccessible through a hinged door 31, located at the side of thecompartment, and provided with a suitable catch 32. The remaining halfof the back of the fourth compartment is provided with a hinged door 33,the side of said compartment being covered by a side wall 34. Withinthis fourth compartment I have, in this instance, placed pairs ofvertical uprights 35, connected by transverse bars or rods 36, from eachof which is suspended a series of meat-hooks 37.

Each of the back walls of the four compartments, which back walls areformed by the partitions 4, or rather by its combined walls or sections,is provided with an opening 38, and in each opening is fitted a metallicframe 39, provided with an outer facing or flange 40, and at oppositesides with triangular flanges or side walls 41, in the angles of whichlatter are hinged or pivoted, at 42, cutofis 43.

Upon each of the frames in front of each shutter, a bell-crank lever 44is pivoted, one end of the bell-crank resting against the shutter, andthe opposite end against a push-rod 45, which extends through the frame39, and to the jamb of the door-opening, beyond which it also slightlyprojects. These cut-offs remain closed by gravity, when the doors areopen, so that cold air is prevented from escaping into the refrigeratingor cooling compartments, but when the doors are closed, they, at theirfree edges, come in contact with the push-rods, and thus oscillate thebell-cranks and push the cut-offs open, permitting the entrance to thecompartments of the cold air.

Openings 42 are formed in the roofs of the several compartments, thusthrowing the same into communication with the space 7 in the bottom ofthe ice-section or top. Metal frames are mounted in these openings, asindicated at 47; hinged cut-offs 48 are located in the frames, said out--offs normally remaining closed; bell cranks 50 are pivoted in theframes; and plunger-rods 49 extendthrough the walls to the door-jambs,to be actuated'by said doors. It will thus be seen that when the doorsareopened, the cut-offs terminatecommunication between the cold-airfiues' 8 and the compartments, and between the compartments and thehot-air space 7. As soon','however, as the doors are closed,communication is opened up, and a constant current of cold air passesfrom the base of the ice through the cold-air lines 8, and into thecompartments, where, becoming warm, it rises, passes out through theopenings 42 into the space 7, thus being returned to the top of the ice,by which it is recooled and purified and returned to the compartments.By this manner it will be seen that a constant circulation of air ismaintained throughout the several com partments; that said compartmentsmay be opened, and communication to the same will be greatlyfacilitated; that when opened the escape of cold air will be arrested;and furthermore, that the compartments are isolated from each other, andhave no communication whatever, so that their odors cannot comminglewith and impregnate the articles in adjacent compartments.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- I 1. In a refrigerator,the combination with the inclosing casing, and vertical intersectingpartitions located therein and forming corner compartments, of angulardoors corresponding each to the two outer sides of the compartmentsrespectively, and hinged to the outer edge of one of the partitions toclose against the outer edges of the other partition, substantially asspecified.

2. In a refrigerator, the combination with an inclosing casing havingdoors or closures, vertical intersecting partitions, one of which ishollow and provided with openings communicating, respectively, with thecompartments into which the interior is divided by the partitions, andan ice box or chamber commu nicating with the space within the hollowpartition, of gravity cut-offsarranged in the openings, and devicesbetween the doors and cut-offs whereby closing the doors will open thecut-offs, substantially as specified.

3. In a refrigerator, the combination with the base, the transverseandlongitudinal partitions mounted thereon and intersecting each other,one of said partitions being hollow, of an ice receptacle mounted on theupper ends of the partitions, and communicating with the hollowpartition, doors for closing the compartments formed at the angles ofthe parti-' tions, openings formed in the rear wall of each compartment,and communicating with the space of the longitudinal partition, cutoffshinged over the openings and normally closed, and connections betweenthe cut-offs and doors whereby a closing of the latter will operate thecut-offs to open the same, substan tially as specified.

4. The combination with the base, the transverse and longitudinalpartitions, the latter forming opposite cold-air fines, and providedwith openings communicating with the four compartments formed at theangles of the partitions, the top-section mounted on the partitions, andhaving opposite openings communicating with the cold-air flues, and adouble bottom forming an intermediate warm air space 7, a surroundinginner wall, spaced to form a continuation of the space 7, anice-receptacle mounted therein and having a driptube between thecold-air fines, and extending down to the base, the series of doors forclosing the compartments, the series of cutofis for closing the cold-airopenings, openings formed in the roofs of the compartments andcommunicating with the space 7, cut-offs for normally closingtheopenings, and devices between the doors and the cold and warm-airout-offs of each compartment, whereby they are opened by a closing ofthe doors, snbstantially as specified.

5. In a refrigerator, the combination with the ice section or box havingthe slanting bottom, terminating in a drip-tube, the series of coiledwires, strips located at the upper and lower sides of the wires, of theice pan mounted on the upper strips, and the perforated ioe-tray mountedin the pan and provided with pert'orations,substantially as specified.

6. In a refrigerator the combination with the base, the longitudinalhollow partition rising therefrom and provided with intermediatecold-air fiues, openings formed in the partition, forming exits for theair in the compartments at opposite sides of the partition, atop-section mounted on the partition, and division-plates located ineach of the cold-air flues, the said top-section being provided withwarm-air flues, and openings in its bottom communicating with thecompartments at opposite sides of the partition, an internal lin ing forand spaced apart from the ice-box, of a metal ice-pan having a back andopposite side walls, the latter being shallower than the former, and asuperimposed cover for the same, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK H. ZAI-IRN.

Witnesses: I

E. F. WUEUN, ALBERT GLiioK.

